The House Veterans Affairs Committee voted Thursday to subpoena Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki in the wake of accusations that his department had deadly delays in health care at some of its hospitals.

On "New Day" Wednesday, Daniel Dellinger, the national commander of the American Legion, spoke out to condemn the alleged actions and cover-ups.

"One death is tragic," Dellinger said. "Preventable deaths are just unforgivable. The battlefield is one thing. But when they come home seeking medical care that they have earned, then there's a real problem."

CNN has been investigating this story since last fall uncovering the following shocking allegations:

#1) More than 40 veterans died while waiting to be seen at VA hospitals across the country, including in Arizona, South Carolina, Georgia, and Texas:

#2) An elaborate cover-up scheme at a VA hospital in Phoenix put more than 1,400 veterans on a secret waiting list:

soundoff(One Response)

Denise Fritch

I am surprised that the general public believes the current actions of the VA are unusual. During the late 1980s (end of first Reagan term), the VA was heavily fined by the courts when that agency was found to be sheading documents dealing with Agent Orange, despite orders by the court to maintain those records.

Nor is no VA actions to individuals unusual. I was permanently disability retired (nearly 20 years active duty) from the Army in 1983 for an as yet untreated knee condition. I have a disability pension from the Army and a disability rating of 30% from that period. Through the intervening decades, despite all documentation proving otherwise, the VA has maintained I am not retired from the Army (disability or otherwise), receive no pension from the Army, and have no disability rating from that retirement.

Post a comment

CNN welcomes a lively and courteous discussion as long as you follow the Rules of Conduct set forth in our Terms of Service. Comments are not pre-screened before they post. You agree that anything you post may be used, along with your name and profile picture, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the license you have granted pursuant to our Terms of Service.